The subject invention relates generally to automatic juicing machines intended primarily for citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons or limes. The typical prior art automatic juicing machine comprises means for cutting the fruit in half, means for squeezing the juice from the pulp in each half, means for recovering the squeezed juice and means for discarding the remains of the fruit. The prior art automatic juicers have taken many forms for achieving the above described basic operational steps. Examples of well known and effective juicers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,311,565 which issued on Feb. 16, 1943 to T. G. Nelson and U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,317 which issued on Feb. 24, 1953 to T. G. Nelson. These prior art references show juicers that are adapted to deliver individual citrus fruits sequentially to a blade over which each fruit is urged to slice each truit in half. The hemispherical halves of each piece of fruit are then delivered by the juicing apparatus to an elastomeric support, such that the planar cut surface of each hemispherical piece of fruit is disposed face down on the elastomeric support. The apparatus disclosed in these two prior art references further comprises cones disposed below the elastomeric support and generally in register with the hemispherical pieces of fruit. The prior art apparatus disclosed in each of these patents is then operative to urge the hemispherical pieces of fruit and the elastomeric support downwardly and over the cones to express the juice from each piece of fruit. The expressed juice passes through apertures in the elastomeric support and is recovered in a tray disposed below the cones.
Several improvements to the juicing apparatus disclosed in the above referenced patents have been made by Stewart C. Nelson, the inventor herein. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,425 issued to Stewart C. Nelson on Oct. 30, 1984 and is assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,425 relates to improvements in the blade for bisecting the fruit. Other improvements are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,418 which issued to Stewart C. Nelson on Apr. 9, 1985 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,880 which issued to Stewart C. Nelson on Oct. 4, 1988. These two latter patents both relate to improvements in the elastomeric support surface onto which the hemispherical pieces of fruit are delivered. Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,509,418 and 4,774,880 are assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. The disclosures of these various prior art patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Other prior art juicers are substantially more complex than those described and referenced above. In particular, some prior art juicers include complex assemblies of rotatable arms which grab hemispherical sections of fruit and move each section through a sweeping arc and toward an appropriate means for expressing juice from each hemispherical section of fruit.
Other prior art juicers operate without cutting the respective pieces of fruit into hemispherical sections. Prior art juicers of this general type are shown in: U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,865 which issued to Hait on June 5, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,449 which issued to Segredo on Nov. 17, 1981; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,620 which issued to Cross on Apr. 20, 1987. These three references all show juicers having a vertical tube, the upper end of which terminates at a circular blade. A generally conical structure is mounted around the tube and includes upwardly extending supports for centering a fruit over the circular blade. These juicers further include a concave member having a second circular blade centrally disposed at the base of the concave member. The concave member is urged over the fruit to cut a generally cylindrical plug from the central portion of each fruit. The plug is urged longitudinally through the tube and is compressed by complex operative components within the tube and by other plugs of fruit that are subsequently urged into the tube. As shown most clearly in the above referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,620, the rind or skin of the fruit is urged upwardly into a gap between the concave member and the circular knife of the apparatus. This is intended to separate the rind from the juice that is being prepared. The reference, however, is silent as to the method for disposing of the remaining skin or rind.
The prior art includes other juicers that are operative to express juice from an orange, grapefruit or the like without first severing the fruit in half. Examples of these prior art structures include: U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,731 which issued to Coyle on Apr. 4, 1944; U.S. Pat. No. 2,404,382 which issued to Klein on July 23, 1946; U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,324 which issued to Cadella on May 4, 1955; U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,452 which issued to Johnson on Apr. 5, 1955; U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,819 which issued to Lingle on July 26, 1955; U.S. Pat. No. 2,724,326 which issued to Long on Nov. 22, 1955; and, U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,852 which issued to McCulloch on Apr. 24, 1956.
In addition to increasing speed and maximizing juice yield, it is desirable to provide juicing machines that are easy to clean, simple to operate and easy to maintain. Many of the above described automated juicers that squeeze generally whole fruits are undesirably complex and therefore are difficult to operate, maintain and clean.
Another objective for most juicers is to avoid bitter-tasting juice. It is generally believed that the bitter taste associated with some fruit juices results from oils expressed from the skin of the fruit or from the seeds. Most of the above described juicers that are operative to squeeze juice from substantially whole fruits are likely to either crush the seeds or to significantly damage the skin, thereby releasing oils that contribute to a bitter tasting juice.
The above described juicing machines that squeeze substantially whole fruits have also generally provided inefficient means for disposing of the skins and other remains from the juicing process.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a juicing machine that avoids the need to first sever the fruit into hemispherical sections.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a juicing machine that minimizes the pressure exerted on central portions of the fruit in which the seeds are disposed.
An additional object of the subject invention is to provide a juicing apparatus that does not crush or otherwise severely damage the skin of the fruit.
Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide a juicing apparatus that efficiently disposes of the skin of the fruit.
A further object of the subject invention is to provide a juicing apparatus that is easy to maintain and clean.